"Finally an OG stepped up and came to her defense"— Fans react as MC Lyte comes out in support of Sexyy Red amid online backlash

Rapper MC Lyte stepped up in defense of Sexyy Red as the latter continues to garner backlash for being "too vulgar." In her June 29, 2024, interview with The Neighborhood Talk, the musician opined on criticism against Red, saying:

"Nothing that we see is really new. We've all lived through the advent of My Neck, My Back (song by Khia), Trina, (Lil) Kim, Foxy... We've lived that; so nothings surprises us."

Content Warning: The following article contains references to strong language. Reader discretion is advised.

Janae Nierah Wherry, who goes by the moniker Sexyy Red, rose to fame last year with her single, Poundtown. Since then, her lyrics have garnered criticism for being overtly s*xual, with many arguing that "women in rap resort to vulgarity for attention." They reason that Wherry's music negatively influences young women.

As MC Lyte's comment went viral, many commended her for coming to Red's defense.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Instagram/ @theneighborhoodtalk)

The Cold Rock a Party singer's comments sparked a discourse online. Many agreed with the rapper, saying Sexyy Red's content is "nothing new," adding that if parents were worried about their children watching her content, then they needed to be "proactive."

Here are some comments seen under @theneighborhoodtalk's Instagram post:

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Instagram/ @theneighborhoodtalk)

Others commented that the rapper's opinions hold weight and she shouldn't "endorse" such content. They argued that other singers that Lyte named have "quality music" despite being "raunchy."

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Instagram/ @theneighborhoodtalk)

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"She didn't pop out of a planet"— MC Lyte criticizes backlash against Sexyy Red

In her interview, MC Lyte, aka Lana Michele Moorer, argued that Sexyy Red was "being (her)self," adding that her lyrics reflect the neighborhood and the lifestyle where she grew up.

"She didn't pop out of a planet. She came from a neighborhood where this is how they speak to one another; this is how they communicate and so this is definetly art imitating life," the rapper stated.

She continued:

"It appears to me that she's being herself. Whenever youre being yourself... like... how can anybody argue?"

MC Lytes comments build on previous arguments defending the St. Louis rapper, calling out the double standards in the music industry. In an October 2023 essay in The Black Explosion, author Madison Korman stated male rappers never receive the same "pushback" for their "overty s*xual" lyrics.

Korman illustrated her point by bringing up NLE Choppa's Sl*t Me Out (2022) with similar content. Instead of criticism, it went viral and was used in social media trends.

In May 2023, Sexyy Red addressed the double standards during her interview with Complex. She stated:

"(Men) talk about f*cking b*tches all day, every day in their songs. But when we get to talking about it, it’s a problem. But I don’t care what they think, because it’s not for the n*ggas, it’s for the girls."

Red has not publicly reacted to MC Lyte's comments at the time of writing this article.